Distributer

JAVIEDAMES

1986 TOYOTA PICKUP

I recently installed new timing chain, truck was running I tuned it up plugs cap and rotor and changed oil, I was driving it under normal conditions suddenly started to misfire and knock. Only knocks when at normal temp, could this be a distributor problem or maybe a bad spark plug

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Thursday, January 5th, 2012 AT 12:58 AM

13 Replies

RIVERMIKERAT

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Timing is too far advanced.

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Thursday, January 5th, 2012 AT 4:57 AM

JAVIEDAMES

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When I set the distributorI did by ear I am not really sure how to set it can you help

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Thursday, January 5th, 2012 AT 9:14 AM

WRENCHTECH

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20,566 POSTS

There is no way to set timing by "ear"

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Thursday, January 5th, 2012 AT 10:48 AM

RIVERMIKERAT

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Wrenchtech, you must be young and trained in school. My teachers were all older guys that had been wrenching since the war, or shortly after it. The BIG one. First they taught me to time an engine using a timing light and timing mark. THEN they taught me to time an engine by ear.

Javiedames, you need to back the timing down some. Preferably use a timing light. Power leads to battery, big magnetic lead to #1 plug. Point light a the timing mark on the crank pulley and slowly turn distributor until mark on pulley lines up with proper timing on indicator. Unplug the vacuum advance line to the distributor and plug it. Timing should be zero degrees at 950 RPM.

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Thursday, January 5th, 2012 AT 8:36 PM

WRENCHTECH

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Rivermikerat, you must be very naive to think that. I have been timing muscle, non computer cars for longer than OHV engines have been around so don't assume that at all. Today's computer cars however are a very different ball game and you CANNOT time one by ear and be even close.

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Thursday, January 5th, 2012 AT 9:54 PM

RIVERMIKERAT

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Naive? No. Been turning wrenches since around 72. Learned from a few OG's that were in their late 60s and 70s. A 1986 engine can be timed by ear by someone that knows how to listen. It's electronic ignition, but not overly computer controlled. Most of the cars of today that I've been seeing are DIS. Timing them is pretty difficult without a scantool.

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Friday, January 6th, 2012 AT 4:57 AM

WRENCHTECH

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[quote]Most of the cars of today that I've been seeing are DIS. Timing them is pretty difficult without a scantool.[/Quote]

Timing a DIS car? OK, I'll leave on that statement. That says it all.

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Friday, January 6th, 2012 AT 10:53 AM

RIVERMIKERAT

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I would hope so. It's true. DIS systems can't be timed without a scantool. Unless you want to fudge with the timing belt.

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Friday, January 6th, 2012 AT 11:11 PM

WRENCHTECH

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You just won't leave it alone so I have to respond. There is no possible way in Hell to change the ignition timing on a DIS engine (even with the timing belt). It is factory engineered using a stationary Crank Sensor and nothing in the world is going to change the base timing so I suggest you not make this any worse. Now, before you even do it I'm going to address adjusting the distributor in the 4.3 V6. When you turn the distributor, you are not changing the timing, you are changing the Cam sensor synchronization and synching the secondary ignition with the primary. Do yourself a favor and drop this argument.

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Friday, January 6th, 2012 AT 11:22 PM

RIVERMIKERAT

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Whatever you say. It must be so difficult being so omniscient around mere mortals.